Week 9 Classroom Guidance Lesson

Lesson on Peer Pressure

Over View of Activity

This is a lesson on peer pressure.  I have used it for several years in classroom guidance lessons.  The story and ideas for the lesson come from a book I have entitled:  Lively Lessons For Classroom Sessions.

Purpose

The purpose of the lesson is for students to be aware of how they can be influenced by their peers and to have an understanding that not all peer pressure is negative.

Intervention Level

Prevention

Age Group/Grade

9-10 years old/4^th grade

Materials Needed

Book:  Lively Lessons For Classroom Sessions, 1 orange card and 1 yellow card for each student, notecards with types of peer pressure

Introduction:  (10 Min.)

I give each student an orange and a yellow card.  I read some alternatives and the students choose between 2 things by holding up the designated colored card.  We then discuss if anyone felt pressure to make the same choice as the majority of the class.  I then define peer pressure (Peer pressure has to do with kids who are around your age-your peers-talking you into doing things you don’t think you should do.)

Story:  (15 Min.)

I read:  The Park Street 10.  It is a story about a group of friends who do things together in the neighborhood during the summer.  One day, a boy suggests that they ride bikes by the railroad tracks.  One girl decides not to go because it is dangerous.  She feels sure she has lost her friends but then the entire group decides not to ride bikes by the railroad tracks.

Discussion Questions:  (5 Min.)

Follow –Up Activities:  (15 Min.)

I define for the students 4 types of peer pressure

1.        Obvious positive:  Kids pressure other kids to do the right thing.

2.       Obvious negative:  Kids are pressuring other kids to do things they know are wrong or dangerous.

3.       Subtle positive:  No one actually comes out and ask anyone to do something positive, but a person wants to do the positive thing because everyone else is doing it.

4.       Subtle negative:  No one is actually telling you to do the wrong thing but because the person wants to be like the rest of the crowd, they go along with the action.

Group Activity: 

Divide the class into 4 groups.  Each group draws a card with a type of peer pressure.  Each group of students role-play to demonstrate a real-life example of the type of peer pressure named on the group’s card.  They act it out for the rest of the class.

Conclusion

We discuss how there is no magic way to fight negative peer pressure.  We talk about standing up and doing the right thing.